Stocking and stocking web



Jan. 10, 1933. P. P. LA MONTAGNE STOCKING AND STOCKING WEB 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19. 1929 Fi g. 3.

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Jan. 10, 1933.

P. P. LA M ONTAGNE 1,893,588

I STOCKING AND STOCKING WEB I III i I Mi- Fil ed June 19. 1929 mid; I

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Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PATRICK P. LAMONTAGNE, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS 'IO LA MONTAGNE IAOHINECOMPANY, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS STOCKING ANDSTOCKING WEB Application filed June 19, 1929. Serial No. 372,017.

- The object of this invention is the production of a complete stockingknit with a continuous web in either direction but preferably from topto toe, shaped to fit the leg, presenting a seam throughout the middleof the back of the web and presenting various novel features.

The object of the invention is further to provide for the constructionof such a stocking in which the entire web, with the exception of thefull size leg section, is formed with to and fro or reciprocatingknitting, thus enabling the entire portion of the stocking which isshaped to be formed with a minimum amount of yarn and to present backedges which may readily be seamed together.

The object of the invention is further to produce such a stocking by theuse of a knitting machinepresenting a circular series of needles, all ofwhich are employed in knitting the leg section with round and roundknitting and portions of which are employed in knitting the remainder ofthe stocking with to and fro knitting and which knit the toe pocketsection at the front of the web so as to bring the seam by which the toepocket section united to the foot section at the back or under side.

The object of the invention is further to produce a stocking in whichthe ankle, heel pocket, foot and toe pocket sections are allcontinuously knit by to and fro knitting.

The object of the invention is further to produce a stocking in whichthe ankle section is knit by to and fro knitting with the web presentingat the back selvaged edges to be seamed together and with spliced areasextending from each selvaged edge to form in the completed stocking whatis known as a high spliced heel.

The object of the invention is further to produce a stocking in whichthe foot section 1s knit by to and fro knitting with the web presentingat the back selvaged edges to be seamed together and with spliced areasextending from each selvaged edge.

The object of the invention is further to produce a stocking ashereinbefore set forth in which the spliced areas of either the ankle.section or the foot section or both are of varying width and presentfront edges of any desired configuration or design.

The object of the invention is further to provide in the productionofspliced areas of the web in the stocking a construction in which thereshall be no fringes at the edges of the spliced area and in which thespliced yarn shall be so knit at the edges as to present an even andsmooth appearance and without drawing the web.

These and many other objects and features of the invention will appearmore fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate more or less diagrammatically the constructionof preferred orms of the stocking, the web from which it is formed, andthe steps employed in the method of making the same.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred form of stocking embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the main portion of a stocking web of apreferred construction embodying the invention and from which a.stocking such as shown in Fig. 1 is formed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the stocking web shown in Fig. 2 ready forremoval of the surplus material and for seaming and looping.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the lower portion of a stocking web generallysimilar to that shown in Fig. 3, but in which the back edges of the webof the ankle, heel pocket, and foot sections are selvaged throughout.

Fig. 5 is a detail in rear elevation of a portion of the ankle sectionof a stocking embodying the invention illustratmg a high spliced heel inwhich there are two spliced areas one at each'side of the back seamwith.

form of a portion of the web at one of the I spliced areas.

In the preferred, form of stocking and the web therefor illustrated inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, the web is knit continuously beginning at the top andending at thetoe and for producing the web a knitting machine employinga single circular series of needles is preferably employed. This enablesthe stocking at the top to be formed with a so-called garter top orinturned welt after the manner disclosed in the patent to Scott, No.1,282,958, October 29, 1918. Beginning at the top the stocking is shownas comprising the follow ing sections, first, a leg section 1 which iskn t continuously with round and round knitting on the circular seriesof needles. This leg section in turn comprises the garter top orinturned welt section 2, the section 3 of the desired size for the bodyof the leg, and the Y shaped section 4 for the calf. Second, the

ankle section 5 knit as a continuation of the leg section but by to andfro knitting on a segment of the circular series of needles. Thisanklesection is shown as comprising an upperankle section 6 of plainknitting and a lower ankle section 7 presenting at the back a splicedarea 8 to form the high spliced heel effect. Third, aheel pocket section9. Fourth, a foot section 10 knit as a continuation of the web by to andfro knitting and presenting at each side a spliced area 11. Fifth, a toepocket section 12 knit as a continuation of the web by reciprocatingknitting on a segment of needles at the front of the series so as toeliminate any transverse seam at the front of the web or the top of thestocking over the toes.

A circular series of knitting machine needles adapted for use incarrying out the process of making the stocking web is indicated in Fig.6 and this series is shown as divided into segments convenientlydstinguished by the-lengths of the needle butts. These segments" are,first, the segment of short butt needles 13 at the front, second, thetwo similar segments 14 and 15 of medium butt needles at the sides, and,third, the segment of long butt needles 16 at the back.

In the process of forming the stocking web, shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,the leg section 1 is continuously knit by round and roundknitting asupon the entire series of needles, the garter top or inturned welt 2being formed in the well-known manner referred to. Preferably one or twoneedles may be omitted at 17 in the middle of the back or the center ofthe segment of the needles 16 to form a marking line for cutting. Asegment of needles at the back, such as the segment of long butt needles16, is then thrown out of action casting off the stitchesand theseneedles thereafter remain out of action, leaving a gap at the back ofthe web and thereby reducing the web to a width which, when seamedtogether, willproduce an ankle and foot section of the desired size.

The calf section 4 is given the proper shape by cutting out or removinga triangular section 18 of the web above the gap but, if desired, theneedles of the segment 16 may be progressively thrown out of actionbeginning at the point 19, leaving the yarns floating over thetriangular gap 18.

\Vhen all the needles 16 are out of action, the round and round knittingis preferably continued for a few courses with the yarn thus floating,over the gap left by the needles, at 20 to form a holding section andthus prevent the knitted portion above the gap from raveling back whenthe web is held or stretched preparatory to removing the triangularsection 18. I

After the knitting of the leg section 1, and preferably of the smallholding section 20, is completed, the remainder of the web is knit by toand fro knitting. The ankle section 5 is knit by to and fro knitting onthe entire segment of needles remaining in action as upon the needles14, 13, and 15, thus forming selvages 21 on the gap 22 at the back ofthe web and with no yarn floating across the gap. In the preferred formofthe method, these selvaged edges of the gap are produced by preventingeach edge needle 23 employed in the to and fro knitting from taking theyarn on the reciprocation away from the edge and causing each of theseneedles to knit only on the reciprocation toward the edge. After eachreciprocation toward the edge, as a result of which the needle 23 knitsas usual, the needle may be raised so that on the return reciprocationaway from the edge the yarn is laid beneath the latch.

The method also includes the production of "a high spliced heel effectin the lower ankle section 7 and for this purpose a spliced area 8 isformed in the knitted web during the to and fro knitting at each side ofthe gap 22. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2

and 3, these spliced areas extend to the edges of the gap so that whenthe web is seamed together, they produce a single spliced area. In thepreferred form of the method, splicing yarns are fed to the needlesalong with the main yarn during the latter portion of therecipnocations. At each gap edge of the web the splicing yarn ispreferably knit along with the main yarn in the method just described.Furthermore, by the method of this invention, the splicing areas'8 areformed of varying width, whereby the edge of each spliced area lying inthe body of the web may present any desired configuration or shape.Also, by the method employed, no fringes, cut ends of yarn, or otherunsightly construction appear at these edges of the spliced areas. Thismethod consists in preventing one or more adjacent needles at the edgeof the spliced area from taking the splicing yarn upon the reciprocationin one direction with respect to the edge and causing the splicing .yarnto float laterally at the edge from alternate to intermediate courses.These adjacent needles at the edge are prevented from taking thesplicing yarn upon the reciprocation toward the center of thesplicedarea while they take the splicing yarn in the usual Way upon thereciprocation in the opposite direction. So far as the splicing yarn isconcerned, the method in its broader aspects is the same at this edge ofthe spliced area as at the selvage above described. This may beaccomplished by slightly raising one or more needles at the edge of thespliced area within the web, in conjunction with proper manipulating ofyarn guide, upon the reciprocation toward the center of spliced area,said needles being thereby prevented from receiving splicing yarn. Thiscan be accomplished without slightly raising needles, but in that eventthe manipulating of yarn guide requires much more delicate adjustment. 7

v The preferred construction of web in the spliced area resulting fromthe preferred method is illustrated in detail in Fig. 7 where the mainyarn knitting the web is shown by double lines and the splicing yarn isshown in solid black, while the arrows indicate the progress of theyarns in the formation of the web. It will be seen therefrom that at theselvage the splicing yarnfioats laterally at- 24 from alternate coursesto intermediate courses and that also at the edge of the spliced areawithin the web this splicing yarn also floats at 25 from alternatecourses to intermediate courses. In this figure the needles which knitthe wales 26 adjacent the edge of the spliced area take the yarn uponthe reciprocation toward this edge but are prevented from taking theyarn upon the reciprocation away from this edge or toward the center ofthe spliced area. So also the edge needle knitting the wale 27 at theselvage takes the splicing yarn on the reciprocation toward the selvageand is prevented from taking the yarn on the reciprocation away from theselvage or toward the center of the spliced area. The varying width ofthe spliced area and consequently the desired configuration of the edgeof the spliced area in the web is formed by manipulating the yarn guidesfor the splicing yarn to cause them to present the splicing yarn toneedles that have been raised by means ofa selective mechanism at thedesired points during the reciprocation and in accordance with theforegoing requirements.

While for convenience in description the leg, calf, and ankle sectionshave been graphically indicated, it will, of course, be understood thatthe boundaries between the sec tions may shift, the entire leg and anglesection presenting essentially the upper .part in which the knitting isround and round, the mid part in which the knitting is round and roundwith the gap at the back of the web and the yarn floating across thegap, and the lower part knit with to and fro knitting with the gap atthe back of the web and with the reinforcing yarn at each side of thegap running to and fro in the knitted courses. Thus the round and roundknitting with the floating yarns 20 across the gap may extend a down asfar as desirable and even to the beginning of the reinforcement 8 in theangle section.

At the conclusion of the knitting of the ankle section 7, a wide segmentof needles at the front, such as the short butt needles 13, are thrownout of action, retaining the stitches, and to and fro knitting narrowingand widening is carried on with the remaining needles in action, as thetwo segments of medium butt needles 14 and 15, to form the heel pocketsection 9. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, thereciprocation takes place throughout the entire segment of needles 14,16, and 15, so that the yarn floats at 28across the gap left by thesegment of needles 16 which are out of action. This floating yarn 28 issubsequently removed before the web is seamed. When the knitting machineis used for knitting the web, the needle cylinder or the cam cylindermay be shifted 180 both atthe beginning and at the end of the knittingof the heel pocket section to cause the to and fro knitting for the heelpocket to be performed on the opposite portion of the web from thatwhere the to and fro knitting for the angle and foot sections isperformed. v

At the conclusion of the knitting of the heel pocket section, thesegment of needles, as 13, previously thrown out of action, are restoredinto action and the foot section 10 is thereupon knit by. to and froknitting on the same needles and in the same manner and by the samemethod as just described with respect to the ankle section. Preferablyalso during the knitting of the foot section, spliced areas 11 ofvarying Width and thus presenting edges of desired configuration areformed in the web with splicing yarn by the same method as thatdescribed in the production of the spliced areas in the lower anklesection. The foot section is thus knit with selvaged edges at the gap atthe back.

At the conclusion of the knitting of the foot section, the needlespreviously engaged in knitting the heel pocket section, as the segments14 and 15, are thrown out of action while retaining the stitchesand theto and fro ,knitting proceeds upon the remaining segment, as 13, of theneedles in action narrowing and widening in the usual manner to producea toe pocket section 12 which is thus formed at the front of the web sothat no seam is presented across the top or front of the web.

Itis usually desirable also at the conclusion of the knitting of the toepocket section to restore the needle segments 14 and 15 into action andknit with to and fro knitting, as in the foot section, a few courses tobe subsequently ravelled out when the web is stitched and loopedtogether.

In the knitting of the web, the yarns may be changed from time to timeas desired, or reenforcing yarns added. The heel and toe sections willpreferably be reenforced and in the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and3, the reenforcing yarn for the toe section is shown as beginning at 29near the end of the knitting of the foot section.

At the conclusion of the formation of the web, the leg sect'on isstretched over a board, the triangular section 18 is cut away, thestocking severed along the entire marking line, and any varns leftfloating across the gap at the back, as at 20 and 28, are cut away.

The back edges of the web are then seamed together at throughoutthelength of the entire stocking and the toe section is looped or seamed at81 to the foot section.

There is thus produced by this method a continuous stocking properlyshaped to lit the wearer, employing a minimum amount of yarn, spliced atthe hack of the stocking and the ankle and the bottom of the foot in apleasing manner and without any undesirable fringes or construction atthe edge of the spliced area, having a seam desirable in fullfashionedstockings extending throughoutthe length of the back of the leg andpresenting no seam over the top or front of the toe and all capable ofbeing formed upon a carcular series of needles by round and round and toand fro knitting.

In the method described for the production of the web shown in Figs 1,2, and 3, the heel pocket is knit with the yarn floating across the gapas at 28, but in accordance with this invention, the gap at the back ofthe web, such as formed during the knitting of the ankle and footsections, may extend through the heel section, as illustrated in Fig. 4,thus leaving no yarn floating at the heel section and forming the heelsection with selvaged edges 32 at the gap. In carrying out this form ofthe method during the knitting of the heel pocket section, to and froknitting narrowing and widening takes place simultaneously andseparately upon each of the segments of the needles as 14 and 15.

lVhen the stocking is knit as last described upon a machine having thecircular series of needles referred to, two yarn guides and twocorresponding slack take-ups are provided to cooperate with each of thesegments 14 and 15 and go into action in place of one yarn guide andslack take-up for the main yarn and twoyarn guides and slack take-upsfor the splicing yarns previously employed in forming the reinforcedlower ankle section and upon the completion of the heel pocket sectionthe same yarn guides and slack take-ups as employed in the knitting ofthe lower ankle section go into action for knitting the foot section,but when the toe section is reached, only one yarn guide and take-up isrequired.

\Vhile the splicing areas at the ankle section and the foot section arein each case shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 as one solid area, it may bedesirable, as, for example, in the ankle section, to form two separatedsplicing areas, and such a construction is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherean ankle section is shown having the two spliced areas 33 one at eachside of and separated from the central seam. In this case each lateraledge of each splicing area is preferably formed by the methodhereinbefor-e described in the formation of the edges of the splicedarea 18 which lie in the knitted web, .or as illustrated in a specificform at the left-hand edge of the spliced area in Fig. '7.

A knitting machine suitable for producing the main forms of the stockingweb her'ein set forth is disclosed in application Serial No. 429,425,filed February 18, 1930.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A stocking web comprising a leg section in which the yarn runs inknitted courses continuously round and round, a holding section having agap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs continuously round andround in knitted courses in the body of the web and floats across thegap, an upper ankle section having a gap at the back of the web in whichthe yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the front between the gapedges, a lower ankle section having a gap at the back of the web inwhich the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the front betweenthe gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each side of the gaprunning to and fro in the knitted courses, a heel pocket at the back ofthe web having a gap at the" back in which the yarn runs to' and fro innarrowing and widening knitted courses and floats across the gap, a footsection having a gap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs inknitted courses to and fro at the front between the gap edges andhavinga reinforcing yarn at each side of the gap running to and fro inthe knitted courses, and a toe pocket at the front of the web in whichthe yarn runs to and fro in narrowing and widening knitted courses. i

2. A stocking web comprising an ankle section having a gap at the backof the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at thefront between the gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each sideof the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses,

section having a gap at the back of the web in which the yarn 111115 inknitted courses to and fro at the front between the ap edges, and a toepocket at the front of t e web in which the am runs to and fro innarrowing and widemn knitted courses. v

3. A stocking web comprising an ankle section having a gap at the backof the web in which the am runs in knitted courses to and fro at theront between the gap edges, a heel pocket at the back of the web havinga gap at the back in which the yarn runs to and fro in narrowing andwidening knitted courses and floats across the gap, a foot sectionhaving a gap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knittedcourses to and fro at the front between the gap edges and having areinforcing yarn at each side of the gap running to and fro in theknitted courses, and a toe pocket at the front of the web in which theyarn runs to and" fro in narrowing and widening knitted courses.

4. A stocking web comprising an ankle section having a'gap at the backof the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at thefront between the gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each sideof the gap runnin to and fro in the knitted courses, a heel poc et atthe back of the web having a gap at the back in which the yarn runs toand fro in narrowing and widening knitted courses and floats across thegap, 2. foot section having a gap at the back of the web in which theyarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the front between the gapedges and having a reinforcing yarn at each side of the gap running toand fro in the knitted courses, and a toe pocket at the front of the webin which the yarn runs to and fro in nar rowing and widening knittedcourses.

5. A stocking web comprising a leg section in which the yarn runs inknitted courses continuously round and round, a holding section having agap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs continuously round andround in knitted courses in the body of the web and floats across thegapfg-an upper ankle section having a gap at the back of the web inwhich the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the front betweenthe gap edges, a lower ankle section having a gap at the back of the webin which thei' arn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the -frontbetween the gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each side of thegap runnin to and fro in the knitted courses, a heel poo et at the backof the Web having a gap at the back, a foot section having a gap at theback of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and, fro atthe front between the gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at eachside of the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses, and a toepocket at the front of the web in which the yarn runs to and fro innarrowing'and widening knitted courses.

6. A stocking web comprising a leg section in which the yarn runs inknitted courses continuously round and round, a holdin section,

having a gap at the back of the web 1n which the yarn runs continuouslyround and round in knitted courses in the body of the web and floatsacross the gap, an upper ankle section having a gap at the back of theweb in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the frontbetween the gap edges, a lower ankle section having a gap at the back ofthe Web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at thefront between thejgap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each sideof the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses, a heel pocket atthe back of the web having a gap at the back, a foot section havi ng agap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses toand fro at the front between the gap edges, and a toe pocket at thefront of the web in which the yarn runs to and fro in narrowing andwideningknitted courses.

7. A stockmg web comprising a leg section in which the yarn runs inknitted courses continuously round and round, a holding section having agap at the back f the web in which the yarn runs continuous y round andround in knitted courses in the body of the web and floats across thegap, an upper ankle section having a gap at the back of the web in whichthe yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the front between the gapedges, a lower ankle section having a gap at the back of the web inwhich the yarn runs in. knitted courses to and fro at the front betweenthegap edges and having a reinforcing yarn at each side of the gaprunning to and fro in the knitted courses, a heel pocket at the back ofthe web having a gap at the back in which separate yarns run in knittedcourses to and fro at each side of the gap between the front of the weband the edge of the gap, a foot sectionhaving a gap at the back of theweb in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to and fro at the frontbetween the gap edges, and a toe pocket at the front of the web in whichthe yarn runs to and fro in narrowing and widening knitted courses.

8. A stocking web comprising a leg and angle section in the upper partof which the yarn runs in knitted courses continuously round and round,the mid part of which having a gap at the back of the web in which theyarn runs continuously round and round in knitted courses in the body ofthe web and floats across the gap the lower part of which having a gapat the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to andfro at the front between the-gap ed es and having a reinforcing yarn ateach side of the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses, a

heel pocket at the back of the web having a I gap at the back, a footsection having a gap at the back of the .web which the yarn runs inknitted courses to and fro at the front between the gap edges and havinga reinforcing yarn at each side of the gap running to and fro in theknitted courses, and a toe pocket at the front of the web in which theyarn runs to and fro in narrowing and widening knitted courses.

9. A stocking web comprising a leg and angle section in the upper partof which the yarn runs in knitted courses continuously round and round,the mid part of which having a gap at the back of the web in which theyarn runs continuously round and round in knitted courses in the body ofthe web and floats across the gap, the lower part of which having a gapat the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to andfro at the front between the gap edges, and having a reinforcing yarn ateach side of the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses, a heelpocket at the back of the web having a gap at the back, a foot sectionhaving a gap at the back ofthe web in which the yarn runs in knittedcourses to and fro at the front between the gap edges, and a toe pocketat the front of the web in which the yarn runs to and fro in narrowingand widening knitted courses. 1

10. A stocking web comprising a leg and ankle section in the upper partof which the yarn runs in knitted courses continuously round and round,the mid part of which having a gap at the back of the web in which theyarn runs continuously round and round in knitted courses in the body ofthe web and floats across the gap, the lower part of which having a gapat the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses to andfro at the front between the gap edges and having a reinforcing yarn ateach side of the gap running to and fro in the knitted courses, a heelpocket at the back of the web having a gap at the back in which separateyarns run in knitted courses to and fro at each side of the gap betweenthe front of the web and the edge of the gap, a foot section having agap at the back of the web in which the yarn runs in knitted courses toand fro at the front between the gap edges, and a toe pocket at thefront of the web in which theyarn runs to and fro in narrowing andwidening knitting courses.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

PATR CK P. LA MONTAGNE

